Game-board.



P. E. WILSON.

GAME BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED TBB. 25, 1913.

euted Aug;

Pat

.lolosoiololg i!" #nuns A in.;

um, Gm s e FRANK E. WILSON, OF LANCASTER, OHIO.

GAME-BOARD.

Application filed February 25, 1913.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

serial No. 750,684.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK E. WILSON, citizenof the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Fairfieldand State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and, useful Improvements inGame-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game boards, and more particularly to a gameboard designed for use in playing a game simulating the ordinary game ofbaseball, and it is one aim of the invention to provide such a board soconstructed that every possible play of the ordinary game may beindicated on the board when played upon.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a board of the typementioned with means for separately recording the batting, fielding, andbase-running results in detail, as accurately as indicated by thedifferent plays of the different players in the course of the ordinarygame. In this connection the invention aims to provide means for holdingthe projectile, employed in connection with the board, at the completionof every play until the result has been observed and recorded.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the game board embodying the presentinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional viewtherethrough. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view.

'Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawingby the same reference characters.

The board includes a runway composed of a baseboard 1 having sides 2which tend throughout its entire length, this board being supported ininclined position by means of a cleat 3 secured transversely upon itsunder side at its .end opposite the end at which the players stand.

A board 4 is supported at its lateral edges between the sides 2 and liesin spaced rela tion to the board 1, above thc same, and in a planeparallel to the plane occupied by the said board 1, and this board 4extends from Vthe elevated end of the board, as a whole,

to a` point near that end of the board at y which the players stand, asshown in Figs.

' 1 and 2 of the drawing.

For a purpose to be presentlv explained, pins or pegs 5 are secured inthe board 4 and project upwardly from the same, and these pins arearranged in transversely extending series and in staggered relation, asshown in Fig. 1. There is also secured upon the upper side of the board4 at the rear edge thereof, a strip 6 in' the forward side of which areformed a number of notches 6 constituting pockets in which theprojectile used in connection with the board may lodge, as willhereinafter be explained.

A pocket plate 8 is normally supported flat upon the forward portion ofthe board 4 and the means for supporting this plate is embodied inrockers, each formed froma suitable length of wire 9 bent at its ends atright angles, as at 10, and thence outwardly at right angles, as at 11,the said ends 11 being pivotally fitted in openings in the sides 2 ofthe board. As stated, the plate 8 normally rests Hat upon the uppersurface of the board 4 and when in this position the rockers assume thedotted line position shown in Fig. 2. A handle 12 is provided at therear edge of the plate 8 and may be grasped for the purpose of swingingthis plate upwardly in the direction of that end of the board at whichthe players stand until it assumes about the position shown in dotof somounting this plate and the reason for swinging it to assume the dottedline posi-' tion will be presently fully set forth. The plate 8 isformed near its end with three series of openings, one indicated bythenu# meral 13, another by the numeral 14 and the third by the nu1neral15.These series preferably extend in parallelism, and the series 13 islocated in advance of the series 14 and the series 15 is located in rearof the series 14. The openings of the series 13 are prefcrabl yindicated -by a legend, such for example as Foul balls,`the openings ofthe series 14 by a legend, such for example as Balls,7 and those of theseries 15 by a legend such as Strikes. An opening 16 is formed in theplate S in rear of the series of the openings 15 and indicates thecatchers position, and for-this reason is indicated by the legendCatehcn The opening 1G is preferably of greater diameter than theopenings of either series 13, 14 and 15 and torn'lcd in the plate atcach side of the open! ing 16 is a smaller opening 17. The reasons forproviding these openings 17 will b e slightly spaced therefrom, and itwill be y close to each other.

observed that the series of openings 18 ex-A tends entirely across thesaid plate, and that these openings are positioned relatively O enings19, 20, and 21 are formed in the p ate 8 in transverse alineme'nt, theopening 19 indicating the pitchers position and the openings 2O and 21indicating, respectively, the location of first and third bases, theopening 19 being located in front to rear alinement with the opening 16and the openings 20 and 21 being' locatedone at each side of the opening19. The plate 8 is formed with three openings 22, one located ateachside of the opening 20 and one rearwardly thereof, other openings 23.being similarly located with respect to the opening 19, and otheropenings 24 being located in like relation to the opening 21. The shortstop position is indicated by an opening 25 formed in the platerearwardly ,of and between the openings 19'and 21, and.0penings 26 and27 are formed in the plate `adjacent to the opening 25. Second baseposition is indicated by an opening 28 adjacent to which are locatedopenings 29 having the same relation to the opening 28 as the openings22 to the opening 20. The opening 29 is located in a transverselyextending series of openings 30, this series extending entirely acrossthe plate in rear of the opening 28. The openings of the series 30 areindicated froin each side toward the center by numerals and letterssignifying Single, Two base hit, Three base hit and Home run. Centerfield position is indicated by an opening 31 and right and left fieldpositions are indicated respectively, by openings 32 and 33. Openings34, 35 and 36 are formed in the plate 8 and bear the same relation tothe openings 32, 31 and 33, respectively, as do the openings 22 to theopening 20, etc. Openings 34, 35 and 36a are formed in the platerearwardly of the openings 32, 35 and 33, respectively, and areindicated respectively by characters signifying Three base hit, Home runand Three base hit. A strip 37 is secured transversely upon the upperside of the plate 8 at the rear end edge thereof and is formed in itsforward edge with a number of notches 38, and the plate 8 is formedwithin the curvature of the wall of each notch with an opening 39.

.the openings 34,

There are nine of the openings 39 and upon the strip 37 adjacent eachopening 39 there ,is a legend, such for example as Ball,

Called strike, these legends or indications being preferably alternatedthroughout the series. Three rowsof pins 39 are arranged upon the upperface of the plate 8 in the same manner as are the pins 5 upon the floor4, and these pins are located between 35a and 36 and the said strip 37.

A device to be presently described is provided for propelling aprojectile over the upper surface of the vboard 1 in the direction ofthe forward end thereof, and as a means for directing this projectile,which is indicated by the numeral 40, and is in the nature of a marbleor small bali, onto the pocket plate 8 there is provided at the forwardend of the board 1, a deflcting device comprising a plate 41 which issecured at one edge to the said forward end of the board 1, and iscurved upwardly andthence forwardly with its other edge terminatingabove the forward end of the pocket plate 8. This plate 41 extendsentirely across the board as a whole and its curvature fromits lower toits upper edge is paraboliform.

The deflector plate is curved as stated,- so' that the projectile 40 isliable to leave or deviate from the course defined by the plate atanyone of a number of points, depend-l ing upon the force with ,which itis propelled over the surface of the board 1. In this manner the pointat which the projectile will land upon the pocket plate is renderedproblematical although it may be determined with more or less accuracyby a skilled player.

The device for propelling the projectile over the board 1 comprises aresilient arm 42 which at'oneV end is confined between posts or pins 43and 44, the post 43 being located nearer the left-hand side board 2 thanthe post 44 and bearing against the forward side, whereas the post 44bears against the rear side. A sto'p-pin 45 is fixed in the board 1 andserves to limit the forward movement of the arm 42. The free end of thearm is enlarged to form a head 46 havingr a concave forward side 47 inwhich the projectile 40 is lodged prior to being driven over the board,and this head terminates in a finger-piece 48 which may be grasped forthe purpose of springing -the arm rearwardly against its tension, the'arm being released after being so sprung, and upon be.- ing releasedbeing designed to forcibly roll the projectile 40 forwardly and upwardlyalong the upper surface of the board 1 and with greater or less forceagainst the deflector 41.

'lhe board 1 has marked upon its upper face rearwardly of the fioor4 4,a diamond and a number of squares withinwhich may be disposed Adisksrepresenting the dif ferent players, 'the word Out77 being printed inthe space to the left of the dial mond and the word Score being locatedin the spa-ce tothe right of the diamond.

By referring to -Fig 2 .of the drawing, it will be observed that theboard 4 serves as a bottom for each of the pockets formed by theopenings in the pocket-plate 8 and that when the projectile 40 haslodged in any one of these openings it will remain there-in so long asthe pockctplate 8 in full line .position showir in said figure. However,when the j'mcket-plate has been swung npwardly and rearwardly to assumeabout the, dotted' line position the projectile will be released andwill roll down the board Ll.

The player, cf course, represents the batter and he manipulates theprojectile propelling devices so as to more or. less forcibly roll theprojectile along the upper surface of the board l and against theconcave surface of the deflertor 41. After the ball leaves thedeflect/.ir it falls onto the pocket plate 8 and will eventually lodgein one of the openings formed in this plate; After the score, indicatedby the projectile lodging in one or another of the openings, has beennoted, the handle 12 is grasped and the plate is swung rearwardly andupwardly so as t0 release the projectile and allow it to roll down theboard and into one of the pockets 7, it passing first between the pins 5upon the Said board 4.

The scores or plays indicated by the diffrent openings has before beenstated, and'is` clearly indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and it willbe understood therefore that if the projectile or ball falls into one ofthe openings 13 it is a foul, or if it lodges in any of the openings 14-the batter is credited with a ball." lf the projectile lodges in any oneof the openings 15, a strike is registered against the batter. On theother hand, if the ball lodges in the opening 20, for example. itindicates that the batter is out on a tiy to the first baseman. Shouldit llodge in any one of the openings 22-it indicatesl that the batter'is out on an assist by the first baseman. If the projectile lodges inauf.' one of the openings 30, for example, the one.; indicated b v thelegend Single it indicates that the batter is safe on a single, but ifit lands in one of the openings 18 indicated by the legend Bunt. he mayeither be safe. out or score, depending upon which one of the pockets 7thel projectile enters after the pocket-plate has been swung up. Y

In the event that 'the projectile passes all of the openings iu thepacket-plate 8 and lodges in one of the openings 3f) within the pockets38 it indicates that the batterhas hit the ball and some one has made anerror in fielding it. efore lodging in any one of these openings,however, the projectile must pass between two or more series of pins S9arranged in staggered relation in front of said openings. The questionto be then determined is what becomes of the batter. For this purposethe plate 8 is swung up and the ball is allowed to roll down the plate4; and into one of the pockets 7, thus indicating whether the batter isout safe or scores lf there should be a runner on any of the bases whenan error is made the ball must be allowed to roll down the board -1 todetermine whether he is out, safe or scores and then the ball must lereplaced in the same pocket and again dlco'ed to roll down the yboard Llto see whether the batter who caused the error is out, safe, or scores.

Vit will be apparent that the players can keep track of the variousplays made and the positions of the base runners by placing the disks 50at the proper points upon the diamond and, when a base runner is out ior l scores in the space to the left or right of the diamond.

Having thus described my invention,\vhat is claimed is:

1. A game board having super-posed surfaces arranged for the successivemovement of a `projectile thereover, means arranged upon one of thesurfaces for cop'eration with the projectile to retain the same in po*sition to indicate a score, and means for releasing the projectile formovement over the other surface, the last-mentioned surface having meansthereon for indicating a phase of the score not indicated upon thefirstmentioned surface.

2. A game board having superposed members arranged for the movement of aprojectile thereover, the upper one of the members having ascore-indicating pocket to receive the projectile, and the other memberhaving a score-indicating means thereon, one of the members beingdisplaceable with relation to the other member whereby to release theprojectile for movement upon the second-mentioned member. i

3. A gameI board having superposed relatively displaeeable members, oneof the members having a pocket to receive a projectile., and the othermember forming a bottom for the pocket except when' the members aredisplaced, and score-indicating means upon each of the members.

4. A game board including relatively displaceable members arranged forthe movement of a. projectile thereover, one o the said members beingformed with an indicated pocket, and the other member riormally lforminga bottom for the pocket, the pocket being arranged to receive aproectile and retain the same when the mem ers are in normal positionand to discharge the projectile when the members are relatively thesecond-mentioned member.

5. A game board, having superposed surfaces arranged for the movement ofa projcctile thereover, the surfaces having thereon independentscore-indicating means, means upon one of the surfaces for retaining aprojectile in indicating position thereon, and means' whereby one of thesurfaces may be displaced With relation to the other to release theprojectile.

6. A game board having a surface arranged for the movement thereover ofa projectile, the said surface having thereon a score-indicating moans,a pocket plate arranged above the said surface and having an indicatedpi cket arrangi-:d to receive the vprojectile, the said surface forminga bottoln for the pocket when the plate is in normal position, and meanswhereby the plate may be displaced with relation to the said surface torelease the projectile lodged in said pocket.

7. A game board having a surface arranged for the movement of aprojectile thereover and having thereon a score-indicating means, and amember supported for upward displacement with relation to the surfaceand having an indicated pocket, said surface forming a bottom for thepocket when the member is in normal position.

8. In a device of the class described, a member arranged for themovement thereover of a proj ectile, a plate arranged to nor` mally restupon the board and having pockets formed thereon, the said boardconstituting the bottoms of the pockets, the pockets being indicated andbeing arranged to receive the projectile, the said board having thereonscore-indicating means, and means whereby the said plate may be bodilydisplaced with relation to the board whereby to discharge the projectilefrom the pocket therein in Which it has lodged.

ln testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. WILSON. [La] Witnesses:

L. G. SILBAUGH, E. S. BENNER.

